Method of and means for flexing soles



April 30,1940. J. P. FREDERICKSEN METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR FLEXING SOLES April 30, 1940- J. P. FREDERICKSEN 2.198.699

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR FLEXING SOLES Filed May 26, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WVE/VTUQ' Jam I. am

3M1 "MM...

Patented Apr. 3Q, 1940 PATENT OFFlCE METnon or AND MEANS FOR FLEXING 9 l 9 SOLES 9 James P. Fredericksen, Wollaston, Mass, as-

signor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 26, 1938, Serial No. 210,221"

19 Claims.

This invention relates to methods of and means forme chanically working fibrous sheet material such as sole leather to remove stiffness by loosening the fibers thereof. The accompanying drawings illustrate a machine designed to utilize the principles of the invention for flexing unattached leather outsoles.

One object of the invention is to provide improvements in methods of flexing soles, and another is to provide improved apparatus to expedite such methods. I

Considering the methadone improvement consists in. combining a bend extending lengthwise and a bend extending widthwise of a sole to form a compound bend, andrelatively moving the sole and such compound bend to loosen and work the fibers of the sole progressively. Additional flexibility may be'obtained thereafter with a compound bend of reverse components and repeating therelative movement to work the fibers progressively.

Another improvement consists in subjecting the sole to preliminary working with one or more 9 simple bends and thereafter subjecting it to work ingwith one or more compound bends as above set forth, the simple preliminary bends serving to work out enough of the initial stiffness to render the sole capable of withstanding the effects of subsequent compound working without being dam- The illustrated machine provides an organizasuccessive stages.

tion by which all such Workings of a sole may be accomplished successively in one run of a sole through the machine. The working members comprise anvil-rolls, conforming rolls and deflectors arrangedin various combinations accord-9 ing to the various bending operations desired at form their functions without subjecting thesoles to compression, thus leaving the fibers of the soles free to creep or respond to the demands of the working: stresses. 9

For the purposes of this description a lengthwise bend is one that curves the length of; a sole,

and a widthwise bend is one that curves its width. 9 The above mentioned and othernovel features of the invention are hereinafter described and claimed andare illustrated in the accompanying Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, and li are horizontal sections:

Preferably, and as herein 9 shown, the working members are arranged to per indicated respectively by lines II-II, III-III,' IV-IV, V--V, and VI--VI in Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 represents an alternative form of cooperative flexing members comparable to those included inFigs. 3 and and Fig.3 is a top plan view on a reduced scale in cluding a feed-table, a block-sole lying thereon and an edge-guide to control the presentation of the sole to the first group of feed-rolls.

A sole H) to be flexed willbe placed first on the feed-table H as shown in Fig. 8 and as repre sented in dotted lines in Fig. 1. From this point the sole will be advanced manually to thrust its leading end between the first pair of feed-rolls: l2 and i3, whereupon the sole will be fed length- 15 wise by successive feed-rolls and will be subjected to a variety of flexing operations before it is ultimately discharged from the opposite end of the machine. A laterally adjustable guiding strip M that lies on the table II provides for guiding the sole by one edge to insure the desired presentation of the sole to the first pair of feed-rolls.

The path to be traversed by the sole from the feed-table and through or past the successive flexing stations includes sinuous portions and straight portions and is indicated by a series of arrows.

In traversing this path, the sole is bent and wrapped progressively around and against a segment of the feed-roll l2, thereafter around and against a segment of a feed-roll l5,- thereafter against the peripheries of feed-rolls l6, l1, and

I8 and is finally fed out and discharged by a pair of co-operative feed-rolls l9 and 20. The rolls [2, l5, IS, IT, and It may be termed anvil rolls because the sole is bent against each of them in one manner or another to work the stiffness out of it. Moreover, theroll l3 co-operates with the roll [2 not only to feed the sole but also to play a part in the first bending operation. Likewise, a roll 2! co-operateswith the anvil roll it not only to feed the sole but also to play a part in a subsequent bending operation. 9

All the rolls of the machine are of circular cross-section, but not all are cylindric. The rolls I2, l3, Hi, 21, I9, and 25] are all cylindric, are all driven,and are all provided with thick covers 22 of friction material such as soft elastic rubber, but their cores or bodies may be made of hard material such as wood or metal. Once the leading end of a sole has passed the nip of the rolls I2 andpl3,it engages a smooth polished segmental deflector 23 that extends around a segment of the roll 12 and is spaced therefrom to provide a channel as deep as the thickest sole likely to be; presented for flexing. In like manner, a similar deance of the deflector 23 is overcome in part by the roll I3, and in part by the roll I5, while that of the deflector 24 is overcome in part by the roll I2 7 and in part by the roll 2|. These rolls are afiixed to individual shafts 25 each journaled in bearings in two confronting frame members 26 between Which all the rolls are arranged; The bearings for all the rolls are preferably fixed to maintain fixed axes of rotation. The shaft of the roll l5 is provided at one end with a driven gear 21 and at the opposite end with a; smaller gear such as that indicated at 28, in Fig. 2. In the latter figure, the gear 28 is affixed to the shaft of the roll |2 but a train of such gears affixed respectively to the shafts of the rolls l2, I3, l5, and 2| are arranged in intermeshing relation and cause all these rolls to rotate with equal peripheral speed to feed the sole. 7

The deflectors 23 and 24 are preferably narrower than the narrowest sole and are arranged midwaybetween the lateral limits of the path of the sole. Consequently, they have only limited contact with the sole but are none the less effective to bend the sole progressively around and against the anvil rolls with which they co-operate. Their frictional resistance to the feeding movement of the sole, though slight, may be minimized by flanking them with idle rolls 29. The illustrated construction provides for four pairs of idle rolls 29, two of said pairs being combined with the deflector 23 and two pairs with the deflector 24, each deflector being arranged between the two rolls of each pair as shown in Fig. 2. For convenience in assembling these parts and maintaining their co-operative relations, each deflector is mounted on two parallel cylindric rods 30 and each pair of rolls 29 is mounted on one of these rods. The ends of the rods project through holes bored in the frame members 26 and may be retained therein by cotter-pins 3|. The peripheries of the rolls 29 preferably project slightly beyond the incurved work-engaging surfaces of the deflectors but such projection need not be as great as that pictured in Fig. 1 in which it is exaggerated merely to make it apparent.

As the sole progresses beyond the rolls l5 and 2|, it travels between a pair of cylindric guide-p rolls 32, thence under the rubber-covered anvilroll I6 and thence between another pair of cylindric guide-rolls 33. Both of these pairs of guiderolls may be freely rotatable and may be made of wood or metal: without any covering of friction material. The pair 33 is preferably spaced from the pair 32 a distance less than the length of the shortest sole likely to pass through the machine and these rolls are arranged to maintain two portions of the sole in a common plane while the group of flexing members including the anvilroll l6 bends the intermediate portion of the sole widthwise. The roll I6 has a bulging profile which may be curved in duplication of the roll I! as represented in Fig. 3 or, instead of" being curved, it may be like that of the alternative type of anvil roll I60 pictured in Fig. 7. The latter type of roll comprises a cylindric middle zone |6| between two frusto-conical zones I62 which, conjointly, provide a bulging profile capable of producing a widthwise bend in a sole. Whether the anvil-roll l6 has a curved profile or a composite angular profile, a conforming roll 34 of complemental profile is arranged to co-operate therewith to bend the sole widthwise. The'roll 34 may be made of hard material and since its profile is a counterpart of the roll IE it will bend the sole against the periphery of the latter and thereby develop traction incidentally to loosening the fibers of the sole. As a sole passes between the rolls [6 and 34, its longitudinal median) band is As the leading end of the sole passes beyond the guide-rolls 33, it engages the rubber-covered anvil-roll I! which may have a bulging profile as represented in Fig. 3 or one of the alternative form provided by the roll "33 in Fig. 7. The idlerolls 4| and the anvil-roll I! are formed to produce initially a simple widthwise bend the op-, posite of that produced by the rolls l6 and 34, but a longitudinal bend is immediately compounded therewith. For this purpose the members that co-operate with the roll H are divided and comprise a stationary median deflector or guiding member 40 and two pairs of idle rolls 4| and 42 that flank it. The deflector 40 ismounted on three parallel supporting rods 43 the ends of which are arranged in holes bored in the frame members 26. These rods may be securedin the frame members-by any suitable means such as screws. 44 and washers as represented in 'Fig. 3, and it is immaterial whether they are fixed against rotation. The deflector 40 may be made ofmetal and its work-engaging surface will preferably be smooth and polished. Its upper portion extends around a segment of the anvil-roll H to wrap the longitudinal median portion of the solearound and into conformity with this segment. As shown in Fig. 3 the two idle rolls 42 and the intermediate portion of the deflector 4|] provide; in effect, a hollow profile that is a counterpart. of the bulging profile of the anvil-roll A. sim-;- ilar hollow profile is likewise provided by the idle rolls 4| and the intermediate portion of the de-,

flector 40.

Since the portion of the sole lying between the.

will be sufficiently workable to undergo compound 1 flexing. In the illustrated machine, the first stage of compound flexing occurs incidentally to the passage of the sole around a segment of the roll [1, and the second stage of compound flexing occurs incidentally to its passage around a segaround the intervening segment of the roll I ,f the widthwise bends are compounded with the" lengthwise bend, and since the sole continues to 751 travel ahead its flbers are subjected to progressivewcompound working between the points specified. Moreoverjsince the margins of the sole are unconfined between these points, the length lar deflector 45 arranged to beengaged by the opposite face of the median band of the sole. The gap between the deflectors 40 and t is preferablyiequal to the thickness of the thickest sole.

to be worked. If desired, these confronting portions of thedefiectors maybe flanked by cylindric guide-rolls 46 which .maybefreely rotatable on the two supporting rods 43 in the plane of the line IV--IV. These idle rolls need not have rubber covers andthey need not project beyond the guiding" surfaces of the deflectors.

\As the marginsof the sole run between the rolls 46, they are brought to the plane of the median band of the sole, the latter being thereby flattened to facilitate its entrance between the rubber-covered anvil-roll I 8 and the next successive pairaof conforming rolls 4?. At this point (line V -V) a simple widthwise bend is produced I by the rolls l8 and 5?; this bend being the opposite of .that produced by the rolls l1 and 22, but

immediately this, widthwise bend becomes compounded with a lengthwisebend produced by a segmental portion of the deflector j 55 which wraps thesole around a segment of the roll iii.

The sclenext encounters a pairof idle conforming rolls 48 similar to the conforming rolls 41,

42, and ll. The group of flexing members i8, 45, 41?,and48 is similar to the group comprising i the members ll, 4U, 41, and 42, but the effects ofthe lower group are the opposite of those of i theupper group.

As the leading end of the sole advances from the rolls i8 and iii, it is of trough-shaped crosssection and is therefore not subject tosagging,

although it has been flexed in four different ways withfour preliminary simple bends and thereafter in two different ways with two opposite compound bends. The sole will therefore run between the cyiindric rubber-covered feed-rolls l9 and by which it will be flattened while being discharged from the machine. If. very.

short soles for childrens shoes are to be run through the machine, it may be in the interest 1 of insuring their passage between the rolls I9 and 2t toprovidea horizontal supporting plate between the rolls 48 and the roll 2!).

The illustrated gearing for driving those rolls that require driving to feed the soles may be derived from a pinion 5i) aiflxed to a primary powershaft 5i journaledin bearings in the frame mem here 26. This shaft may also be provided with i a pulley 52 to receive rotation from a belt (not shown). The pinion 58 is arranged to drive a train (reading from left to right in Fig. 1) of.

1011515, N, H, l3 and 20.

gears 21; 31, 53, 54, and 55, all of equal size. These gearsare affixed to the shafts of the feed of the machine, one train of four gears 28 (Fig.

" 2) affixed to the shafts of the rolls 2i, l5, I2, and

ent of the United States is:

At theopposite side preference to the anvil-rolls fl and i8, theconforming rolls provided to co-operate with them will preferably be frusto-conical in accordance with the rolls H53 in that figure,-and they may be combined with the deflectors til and 45 as represented therein- Y 9 i i The edge-guide l4, asshown in Fig. 8, is providedwith a shank tii in whicha slot 6i isformed to receive a clamping bolt .62. A wing-nutq63 co-operates with the bolt to clamp the shank against the table H in various positions of adjustmentwidthwise of the table. 3

1 The several rods, shafts, rolls and gears cooperate tomaintain the frame members 26 in the desired relation to each other, but rigidity may .be imparted to the frame assemblage by making some of the non-driven rodsor shafts to s erve as tie-rods jand' spacers. For example, as shown in Fig. 4; the ends of the rods Eli are reduced in diameter toprovide spacing shoulders andare provided with screw-threads to receive clamping nutsBE. Asimilarly shouldered and threaded rod 66 (lower left of Fig; l).may-a1so be provided with clamping nuts to f brace the frame members rigidly in that region.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patl. That improvement in vmethods of flexing unattached soles :which consists in formingtwo similar and closely related widthwise bends-in a sole and a lengthwise bend connectingthem;

and relatively moving the sole and said bends while maintainingall' three of the latter.

2. That improvement in methods of flexing unattached soles which consists in bending a sole with a'simple lengthwise bend and with a simple widthwise bend, one after the other and thereafter bending the sole with a compound bend the components of which are similar to said simple bends, and relativelymoving the sole and said compound bend to loosenand Workthe fibers of the sole progressively. 3. That improvement in methods of flexing unattached soles which consists in bending a sole lengthwise. in opposite directions and width wise in opposite directions in four successive stages to loosen the fibers thereof, and thereafter forminga compound bend in the sole and-relatively 'moving the sole and said ommune bend to work the fibers of the sole-progressively.

4. That improvement in methods of flexing unattached soles which consists in bendinga sole both widthwise and lengthwise to form a compound bend, thereafter bendingthe' sole both widthwise and lengthwisein the Opposite direction to form. an opposite compound bend, and relatively moving thelsole and said compound bends to loosena'njd workthe fibers of the sole progressively.

" 5. A sole=fle'xing machine comprising an anviI- roll having a bulging profile to be engagedby one face of a sole, co-operative members arranged to bend aypo-rtion of the sole around and against a segment of said anvil-roll, said members includ ing rolls arranged toconform the sole to said bulging profile at the extremities of said segment, and means for driving said anvil-roll to feed the sole. i

6. A sole-flexing machine comprising a series of groups of co-operative flexing members arranged at succesive flexing stations and including rolls arranged to be engaged by opposite faces of a sole, and means for driving some of said rolls to feed the sole lengthwise through said stations, 7

the-flexing members at two of said stations being to feed the sole lengthwise, the flexing members of one of said groups being formed and arranged to bend a sole lengthwise of itspath of travel by wrapping it around a segment of a roll and those of another group to bend it widthwise, but each with lengthwise progression.

8', A sole-flexing machine comprising a series of groups of co-operative flexing members arranged to be engaged by opposite faces of a sole traveling lengthwise along a certainpath, said members including feed-rolls and. idlerolls, and means for driving said feed-rolls to feed the sole alongsaid path, said groups differing one from another in the arrangement of said flexing members to produce successively four different progressive bending effects-including two lengthwise bends in opposite directions and two widthwise bends in.

. opposite directions.

9. A sole-flexing machine comprising a series of groups ofco-operative members arranged to be engaged by opposite faces of a sole traveling lengthwise along a certain path, one member of each of said groups being an. anvil roll, and means for driving said anvil rolls to feed the sole, said groups difiering, one from another, in the ar rangement of their sole-engaging members to bend the solelengthwise first in one direction and thereafter in the opposite direction, and to bend it widthwise first in one direction, and thereafter in the opposite direction.

10. A sole-flexing machine comprising co-operative flexing members arranged =to provide a series of flexing stations and including a series of driven rolls of circular cross-section by which a sole may be fed past said stations successively,

said flexing members being organized to wrap a sole progressively in opposite directions around segments of two of said rolls and to bend it widthwise in opposite directions at two of said stations.-

11. A sole-flexing machine comp-rising anvil rolls of bulging profile arranged one at each of a series of stations to be engaged by opposite faces of a sole, means arranged to cooperate with said rolls respectively to conform successive portions of the sole to said bulging profiles, and means for rotating said anvilrolls to feed the sole. 12. A sole-flexing machine comprising cylindric anvil rolls arranged one at each of a series of stations to be engaged by opposite faces of a sole, means arranged to bend successive portions of a' sole progressively in opposite directions around segments ofsaid rolls, anvil rolls of bulging profile arranged one at each of a series of other stations to be engaged byopposite faces of the sole, means .of concave profile arranged to conform successive portions of the sole progressively to said bulging profiles, and means for rotating said anvil rolls to feed the sole past all saidstations.

' 13. A sole-flexing machine comprising a series of at least four driven feed-rolls arranged to be engaged succesively by a sole fed by them, two of said rolls being cylindric and arranged tobe engaged by opposite faces of the sole and two of them having bulging profiles and being arranged to be engaged by opposite faces of the sole, means arranged to bend successive portions of the sole 1 around and against segments of said cylindric rolls, and means arranged to bend successive portions of the sole against and into conformity with said bulging profiles.

14. A sole-flexing machine comprising a plurality of anvil rolls having bulging profiles arranged.one at each of a series of stations to be engaged by opposite faces of a sole, conforming rolls arranged adjacent to said anvil rolls respectively to bend successive portions of the sole progressively against said anvil rolls and thereby conform said portions to said bulging profiles, and means for driving some of said rolls to feed the sole.

l5. Asole-fiexing machine as defined in claim 14 in which intermediate members are arranged to be engaged by opposite faces of the sole between two of said stations to unbend the sole and guide it to the next station. I

16. A sole-flexing machine comprising, in combination, two spaced pairs of confronting soleguiding members arranged to be engaged simultaneously by opposite faces of a sole traveling lengthwise from one pair to the other, said members being formed and arranged to maintain the engaged portions of the sole in a common plane, co -operative sole-engaging members arranged at a station between said pairs of guiding members to bend the intermediate portion of the sole widthwise, one of said bending members being a feed-roll, and means for rotating said feed-roll.

17. A sole-flexingmachine comprising an anvilroll, a narrow segmental deflector having an incurved operating surface confronting but spaced from a segment of said anvil-roll to bend a longitudinal median band of a sole against said segment, and two series of short rollsflanking said deflector to be engaged by the margins of the sole and thereby relieve the sole from some of the friction due to feeding it along said incurved surface. I

18. A sole-flexing machine comprising the combination of elements recitedin claim 17 and a plurality of supporting rods on which said short rolls and said deflector are strung and thereby maintained in cooperative relation.

19. A sole-flexing machine comprising the combination of elementsrecited in claim 17 of which said anvil-roll has a bulging profile and said JAMES P. FREDERICKSEN. 

